Omega-3 Supplements May Help with Longevity

by | Oct 29, 2012 | 2012, Alternative Therapies, Longevity, Omega - 3

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Supplementation with 2.5 grams of EPA and 348 mg of DHA per day over a 4 month period resulted in an 18% reduction of inflammation in 138 participants.

A common denominator among many of the serious illnesses afflicting our society which include depression, heart disease, type II diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s disease is that inflammation plays a role in their onset.  The specific inflammatory proteins are called cytokines and include IL-6 and TNF-alpha (1, 2). They have been found to be “a robust and reliable predictor of all-cause mortality in older adults” (2).

Because IL-6 and TNF-alpha play significant roles in mortality, ways to help maintain healthy levels of these inflammatory proteins are crucial to overall health.  Now a new study (3) suggests that  omega-3 fatty acids may help.  In the study, 138 men and women between the ages of 40 and 85 were assigned to one of three groups for four months:

GROUP 1:  Supplemented with 2.5 grams of omega-3 fatty acids per day (2085 mg per day of  EPA and 348 mg per day of DHA)

GROUP 2:  Supplemented with 1.25 grams of omega-3 fatty acids per day (1042 mg per day of EPA and 174 mg per day of DHA)

GROUP 3:  Placebo containing palm, olive, soy, canola, and coco butter oils in amounts normally consumed by US adults (4).

The researchers chose the 7:1 EPA/DHA ratio because of evidence that EPA has stronger anti-inflammatory and antidepressant effects than DHA (5).

Food intake was assessed before and after the study using The Women’s Health Initiative Food Frequency Questionnaire, which provided data on the type, frequency, and quantity of foods and beverages consumed in the past 90 days (6).  Participants were asked not to change their diet during the study and not to take any fish oil or other omega-3 fatty acid supplements other than those provided by the study.

Over the course of the 4-month study, TNf-alpha levels in the placebo group increased by 16% (0.66 to 0.77) while the high-dose omega-3 fatty acid group saw a 3.5% decrease (0.71 to 0.686, p = 0.004) compared to no change in the  low-dose omega-3 group (0.72, p = 0.03).  Decreases in IL-6 levels were even more dramatic, with a 33% increase in the placebo group (0.91 to 1.21), an 11% decrease in the low-dose omega-3 group (1.02 to 0.914, p = 0.0003) and a 14.5% decrease in the high-dose omega-3 group (0.85 to 0.727, p = 0.0002).

Citing a 2009 study showing 1.8 grams per day of EPA /DHA to change the expression of 1040 genes, including decreasing activity of genes involved in inflammatory and blood-clotting pathways (9), researchers concluded that “This is the first well-powered trial to show significant changes in  cytokines in healthy middle-aged and older adults…and thus could have broad health benefits.”

Source: Kiecolt-Glaser, Janice K., et al. “Omega-3 supplementation lowers inflammation in healthy middle-aged and older adults: a randomized controlled trial.” Brain, behavior, and immunity 26.6 (2012): 988-995.

Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Posted October 29, 2012.

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY.  You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com

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  2. Krabbe, K.S., Pedersen, M., Bruunsgaard, H., 2004. Inflammatory mediators in the elderly. Exp. Gerontol. 39, 687–699.
  3. Kiecolt-Glaser JK.  Omega-3 supplementation lowers inflammation in healthy middle-aged and older adults: A randomized controlled trial.  Brain Behav Immunity 2012; 26(5): 988–995.
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